


A Gift Unlooked For

by Judayre



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Romance, tags in chapters, traumatic pasts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 20:43:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 13,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1721960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judayre/pseuds/Judayre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All the bits of the female!Nori 'verse I've been writing in shorts.  Because I want to do more with it.  Because it is excellent.</p><p>Now with actual title from lferion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter has: mentions of underage sex that might read as prostitution, young teen pregnancy (she's the equivalent of 14), induced miscarriage, suicidal thoughts, very internalized shame. I think that covers it, but if I missed something, please let me know.
> 
> It also has [a gorgeous picture](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/84355724163/sketch-for-judayres-drabble-here-i-dont-even) by Blue Sparkle.

It wasn't usual for Dwalin to get home and not have Nori greet him at the door. No matter where she was, Nori always heard him - her hearing trained to be so much more acute than his own by her years as a thief. To have to go searching her out put him on edge. And then to find her staring blankly into the fire as if she had been told her life was over.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, falling to his knees in front of her.

It took time for her eyes to focus on him. "I went to Óin," she said in a voice that wavered. He nodded, reaching for her hands. He knew she had been feeling sick, but to have her so upset it had to be awful. She was silent a long time and he saw how she shivered, saw the sheen of tears in her eyes, and feared the worst.

"I have your child," she said finally.

It took a moment for her words to register, and then joy blazed in Dwalin's heart. He pressed his hands to her belly despite knowing it was too early to feel anything. And then her sadness filtered through his joy. He had thought it must be something horrible. What could have made her feel this way?

"I shouldn't," Nori said, stumbling over her words as Dwalin had never heard. "This shouldn't be happening. I-- there was no choice! I was young and poor. We couldn't... So I...." She buried her face in her hands and her last words were a wail. "You don't get a second chance!"

He had her in his arms in an instant, wrapped safe and tight away from the world. And she clung to him desperately while he rocked her.

"How young were you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Ori wasn't twenty."

Which meant she wasn't fifty. Something in his stomach turned at the idea that someone that young would have to make such a decision. "Tell me," he said softly, trying to keep from making demands but knowing she had to talk about it.

"We didn't have much. Only Dori was old enough to get work and mother was dead and Ori was always sick. And there was a man. I don't remember his name, I don't think I ever knew it, but he gave me pretty things and I could sell them and bring home food. Dori never asked where the money came from. I think he already thought I was stealing."

Dwalin felt sick. He knew there were monsters among Men who preyed on children, but he hadn't thought that kind of crime happened among Dwarves. He stroked Nori's hair, holding her closer as if he could protect the child she had been. "And when..?"

She shuddered. "I was so scared. We didn't have enough for the three of us, I knew we'd never have enough for four. And if Dori knew what I had been doing.... He still thinks I started stealing before I did. There was no one I could talk to, no one to give advice. But there are some things everyone knows about what to eat or not eat when you're carrying."

Dwalin rocked her, kissed her hair. Her hands were twisted in his shirt so much it hurt, but he would never say anything about it. He wouldn't deny her anything that would help her. Not ever. Not even if there were many who would say the choice she had made was wrong and that a child was always a blessing.

"I ate marrow until I was sick," she whispered. "I thought I was going to die I was so sick. I thought it might be right for me to die with what I did." She shivered closer into his arms and it was only that closeness that let him hear the next words. "I wanted to die because of what I did."

He had no way to answer that except to kiss her again. To hold her and not let go because he had known of her thievery when they got into this and nothing would make him leave her.

"If you scorn Mahal's gift you're never given another," she said, and now her voice was a whimper. "I shouldn't be with child now. He should hate me for the one that never lived."

And sometimes Dwalin proved he was Balin's brother by having the right thing to say. "He must have understood what you did like I do," he said softly. "Perhaps he held that child close until you were able to bear it."

He could see the desperate hope in her eyes. "And I love you," he continued, resting his head against hers and dropping his voice intimately low. "And I will love you and this child with the whole of my being even when I am in the Halls of Waiting."

He pressed a hand to her belly again, feeling no less joy. Feeling more, perhaps, at this unlooked for miracle and the gift they had both been given.


	2. Subtle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori has always been able to read his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting these chapters in the order that I originally wrote them. Not for any reason, really, just because it's how I'm used to them being ordered.
> 
> I don't think this chapter needs tags....

Nori was naturally secretive. Dori prided himself on being able to read her better than almost anyone, including their mother. Ori was better at it, but Nori had helped raise Ori, so Dori wasn't upset about that.

She was a thief. He was enough of a realist to admit that to himself. She was a thief, and a good one - she had brought them money and food before she'd even turned fifty. And he had never turned it down, because they needed more than he could make when he was practically a child himself.

Her tendency to hide things was good for her chosen profession, and the thievery made it worse. Over the years it became harder to tell what she was thinking and feeling. Dori worked hard to make sure he could give her what she needed, and Ori always seemed to know, but it was more of a struggle every year.

Each time she vanished - first for a few days, then months, and before the Quest it had been more than five years since he'd seen her - she came back with a sunnier smile and more that she was hiding. And this time was no different. This time, Dori had to look hard into her eyes to know when her smile was false - and she didn't often give him the time he needed. This time, when she laughed and assured Ori she was fine he believed her.

But Dwalin always frowned at that. He always frowned at Nori, so it probably didn't mean anything. He was a warrior, a noble, honest as the day was long and honorable before anything else. She was a thief and made no bones about her ability to pull things from the pockets of their companions. He had every reason to frown at her.

It was more thanhalfway to the Misty Mountains before Dori had any clue it was anything else. Nori shifted next to him, frowning at the warrior. "He's upset," she said. When Dori just murmured something assuring she shook her head. "He's _upset_. He must have fought with Thorin."

She easily evaded Dori's hands when he tried to hold her back. Not all Dwarves were as close with their emotions as she was. There was no way Dwalin was anything but what he showed and Dori didn't want her upsetting him.

He watched anxiously as she approached and said something soft to the warrior. And he hoped he was the only one watching when Dwalin's eyes widened slightly and then he gave the ghost of a smile to Nori. He must have been the only one watching, because the way the warrior wrapped his arms around the thief's waist and buried his face against her throat would have brought an uproar if anyone else saw.

Dori watched closer for the rest of the journey. He saw the way Nori's eyes cut over to Dwalin and the way her perpetual smile changed when she looked at him. He relearned how to read her using Dwalin as his primer. And he was glad of the warrior as he never thought he would be, because Nori's smile was real when she thought about him. And though he appreciated how they made each other easier, he wished he hadn't let Nori talk him out of packing her tea.

Ori noticed as well, and he was so open with his own emotions that it was a wonder that the rest of the company hadn't noticed when they finally won their home back. As it was, Nori and Dwalin were only obvious to their brothers but clearly thought no one had noticed at all.

So Dori was practiced at reading the unexpected subtlety of Dwalin's face when the warrior came to him and nervously asked for his sister's hand. When Dori gave his approval with no reservation, though, the resulting joy should have lit up the mountain.


	3. Mirkwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori can only think of one way out of Thranduil's dungeons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter: mentions prostitution, alludes to child prostitution, contains internalized cultural victim blaming and very negative self image.
> 
> As ever, let me know if I'm missing anything.

Their cells were close enough that they could hear each other if they shouted. But they had to shout, and the choice was to let their captors hear enough Khuzdul to maybe start understanding it or to yell in Westron. No choice, really. And the locks were unpickable. That was the first thing Nori tried, with the things she had hidden where Elves wouldn't look.

And that left them with no way to get out and no chance to make it to the mountain. Which meant that their quest was doomed and if they were ever released they would have to go back to the Blue Mountains in disgrace. The last hope to regain Erebor would be gone, Durin's line destroyed. Her brothers, who had given everything for the quest, would be ruined. Dwalin would be wrecked.

They had to get out. And if her picks didn't work, there was only one way. She should have been ashamed of even thinking it, but they said that if once you sold yourself there was no reason not to do it again. And she had sold herself, when she was barely old enough to understand what she did.

She waited a few days, watching the guards until she thought she had identified one who was corruptible but honest. And then she let him come across her bathing.

It wasn't long before she was dragged in front of the king of the Elves, the ties of her shirt still loose enough that he was guaranteed to get an eyeful looking down at her. And he looked interested - there was more curiosity and desire in his eyes than she had seen previously.

"If they go, I will stay," she said, folding her arms under her breasts and watching every eye in the room jump to them.

"You and your companions stay at my pleasure," Thranduil said, trying to be aloof as he usually was. The way his eyes kept lowering from her face to her chest gave him away.

"You would make sport with a prisoner? I have overestimated you."

There was an angry murmur, but the king just raised a brow at her. She held his gaze until he looked away.

"I will stay for whatever use you have for me, if the rest are released."

There were murmurs again, but it wasn't as if she didn't already know what use they would put her to. A female Dwarf, practically myth. Elves were like Men - as soon as they knew she was female all their brains went to their trousers and all they could think about was seeing how she differed from what they were used to.

And she would let them find out, if only her brothers would go free. If only her Dwalin would go free - her Dwalin, who wasn't really hers and would never be after this. She would do anything for them, even if they would despise her for it.

Thranduil sneeringly told her he would consider, and she was brought back to her cell. One of the guards felt her up, but she was in no position to protest and bit her tongue. If this worked, she would have to deal with far worse. And she would have to deal with it alone, because who would keep a relationship with a woman so loose? Not her brothers, not Dwalin, she was sure of it.

That evening, Bilbo appeared at her door with the key. He glared at her, told her to prize herself higher than that, and let her out. She followed after him in a daze, finally meeting with the others in a storage room deep underground. Ori threw himself at her, Dori not far behind, and she clung to them hard enough that Dori stroked her hair and murmured assurances.

And then Dwalin folded her into one brawny arm, cracking their heads together and leaving them there. And she leaned into his strong, safe arms and knew he could never learn the worst of her. Because she wasn't sure she could stand to lose him.


	4. Cuddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hugs make things better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one also has [gorgeous art](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/86702534833/sketch-from-this-little-fic-by-judayre-dwalin).
> 
> Self loathing is very hard to get past. And Nori has quite a lot to try and counter.

Throughout the pregnancy, they battled Nori's demons. She was terrified that she would be a bad mother. She was certain she would do the child irreparable harm, that the child would grow to hate her, that she didn't know what to do.

Óin and Dís worked with them to teach them both how to care for an infant and so they would know what to expect. Dwalin and Dori never grew impatient with their reassurances that she wasn't alone. Ori sat with her as much as he could to show her she was lovable.

And then the baby came and all the insecurities erupted. Dwalin had helped with Fíli and Kíli when they were young, so he had those memories to draw on. He held little Norin comfortably, soothing him just by holding him, carrying him for hours without tiring.

Nori always second guessed herself. Every time she held Norin she worried that she was doing it wrong. This came across to the baby, and he often cried in sympathy with her worries. But she didn't understand, and so it just cycled deeper and deeper until after a month she refused to hold him at all.

And that was how Dwalin found them, coming home from a meeting he couldn't get out of. They were both crying and inconsolable, and he didn't know how it had gotten so bad.

First he picked up Nori, carrying her to their bed and kissing her forehead. Then he went back for Norin, rocking him and holding I him close until he stopped crying. He climbed onto the bed, spooning in behind Nori and wrapping one arm around her.

He placed Norin in her arms, helping her to cradle the baby close so that he was holding both of them together. The baby fussed a bit at the change in who was holding him, but he settled in swiftly, nuzzling until he found Nori's breast to suck. It soothed him the rest of the way and seemed to soothe Nori as well.

She leaned back into Dwalin's arms, taking comfort in his hand rubbing circles on her belly and the way he leaned in and kissed her shoulder. "Dwalin, I can't--"

"You're not alone," Dwalin said. "I'll help you. See how all three of us fit together? We're a family. We're not supposed to be alone." He kissed her again and dropped his voice. "I love you, and Norin loves you too. We hurt when you do."

Nori quieted, though Dwalin knew she was still fragile. Still, as they lay together her arms folded more naturally and more comfortably around Norin. And the wonder and love in her face when she looked at him almost hurt.

Dwalin curled his legs closer behind her so they were wrapped around each other and the baby. Even after Norin had finished eating and dropped into an exhausted doze, they stayed on the bed, a family holding each other.

And if they often wound up there all together for years after that, it was no one's business but their own.


	5. Uncle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Balin loves to see his brother with his nephew.

Dwalin was a warrior through and through. He was scarred and tattooed. Big and coarse. Calloused and rough. He was brutally honest and unforgiving.

Except that he wasn't. Few got to see the booming laugh. Fewer the tenderness. And only those few would believe what Balin saw in the first days of his nephew's life.

Big, coarse Dwalin, with his tattooed warrior's hands, held little Norin as if he were made of glass. His calloused fingers caressed the downy hair of his son with a gentleness Balin hadn't seen in too long. The loud voice, with its big, booming laugh and bellowing roar, cooed softly.

Balin got his turn, of course. He wouldn't let the chance to hold his own nephew go by without a fight. And Norin already had Dwalin's strong grip, fingers tight around one of his own or around the hair of his beard.

And Dwalin beamed at him, happy as a child himself. And if Balin ever wondered if the strange romance that had sprung up on the journey between his brother and the thief was a good thing (he hadn't - he knew his brother too well to ever question something that made him so happy), he would have stopped wondering then.

As it was, he smiled and made a joke. And when Dwalin's booming laugh woke the baby and started him crying, Balin laughed at the look of stricken horror on his brother's face.


	6. First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time they had sex was at Beorn's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! New content! Also, **smut**!

Dwalin's fingers twined with her own, pressing her hands into the straw mattress above her head. He stretched above her, his body corded muscle and scars, black ink and dark hair. And she was done waiting.

They had started this early in the journey with sideways glances and frowns at untruths. And when she had crossed the divide between them he had been so glad and grateful for it. But they were traveling in company. It wasn't like they could just sidle out of camp to fuck against a tree somewhere out of sight of the others. And what they had was fragile and new - she wasn't sure it would have survived a casual fuck early on, and even then she didn't want it to end like that. Not to mention that they were traveling together and it would make the journey awkward.

There was plenty of space at Rivendell, but neither of them felt safe enough to let their guard down. Nori was a woman and had much to lose if outsiders learned her secret. So they used the privacy, but not as much as they wanted. He kissed her so deeply that her toes curled, strong arms folding around her safe and warm. She slid slim hands under his clothes, feeling the way his muscles jumped under her touch.

The less remembered of the mountains the better.

And now they were safer than they had been since they left the Blue Mountains. They were in Beorn's home, safe from any enemy and with enough space to be away from others. Nori had gotten the dogs to help her set up a nest in a hidden corner and then had all but dragged Dwalin to it, and damn any who saw her do it. He knew what she was thinking, and his mouth found hers, large hands framing her face as he kissed her so deep she thought she would melt.

It was hard, under that onslaught, to keep enough thought in her head to get them both naked, but it wasn't long before her dextrous fingers had divested them both of clothing so they stood bare in front of each other. Not for the first time, of course. Nori had no time for modesty when traveling. It was safer to bathe all together, no matter that it was men and women together. Not even Dori protested that, and he protested everything she did.

And when they were in company they couldn't properly look at each other, and she wanted to fill her senses with Dwalin. She ran her fingers lightly across his tattoos, shivering as the big, calloused hands traced her body in turn. She had enough experience that she usually didn't like being held down, but anything that let her feel that perfectly controlled strength was a good thing.

Her fingers closed around his as they kissed, those deep, thorough kisses that seemed to go on forever and bare her soul to Dwalin. She spread her legs, hooking them around his hips, and pulled him down onto her. It was unexpected enough that he didn't fight it. In fact, he half fell on her, and her breath left with a whoosh. But she didn't let him go.

They weren't yet at the goal. Dwalin was only laying on top of her. She could feel all of him, all of his hardness against her soft places. And just that, just that was something she wanted to experience again. Just that was better than some sex she'd had. She wondered if they could remain hidden long enough to just sleep that close, curled in each other's arms, bodies pressed together like they were made for it.

Dwalin released her hands, his own trailing lightly down her arms until he could hold up some of his own wait. But Nori didn't let him go far, wrapping her arms around his neck. The fingers of one hand buried in his hair while the other clung at his shoulders to hold him with her.

He kissed her mouth once more, then her cheeks, her eyes. And while her eyes were closed he bent to kiss an ear, her pulse, her shoulder. She clung to him like a limpet, urging him on but unable to reciprocate when he rubbed against her. He moved down her body, kissing her collar bone, her breasts, her navel. And then she could do nothing but gasp as his mouth was on her. _No one_ was that willing, but he just saw to her pleasure, her legs loose over his shoulders now, as if it was the only thing he wanted. He held her hips, and she could feel how easily she could break away from him, but _why would she ever want to break away from him_?

Nori was quiet - she was a thief, she had trained herself to be quiet - but she had to bite her lip. She pressed both hands to her face as she couldn't help the sob that broke passed her lips. She'd been with men before, and this was the first time it was anything but lust. This was the first time she was with someone who cared about her pleasure as much as his own. Dwalin was the first man who worked at pleasing her, not taking it as granted that what pleased him would also bring her off.

She was shivering and boneless, reaching for him with shaking fingers, when she was able to think again. And he came to her willingly, resting over her and making her feel the limits of her body as if he knew that she felt like she could float away. His hardness pressed against her belly, and she almost moaned. Dwalin, smelling like her, wanting her, hard for her, but still so undemanding, made desire flare in her belly again. She canted her hips up this time when she wrapped her legs around his hip again.

He hesitated, whispering to her that he had no sheath to protect her with. She just kissed him, pulling him close and biting at his bitten ear. She didn't need that protection, though she couldn't explain that to him. Couldn't ever explain that unless she wanted him to walk away from her in disgust. She just whispered that she didn't care, feeling the way his muscles jumped as she slowly pulled him down and into her. He clung hard and she knew she would have bruises, but the feel of it was just added into everything else she was feeling, every touch a spark of pleasure that left her panting against him.

She was full of Dwalin. His eyes were on hers, watching in concern to make sure she was alright. His deep voice murmured in her ears, the words were lost in the haze that was in her mind, but the way it vibrated through her made her moan. She had both arms and legs around him, holding him close, possessing him. And then, as he started to move within her, his mouth met hers once more and they filled one another.

It was an eternity, an instant, some timeless interval that she would have given much to hold onto. It had never felt like that before. She had known sex with Dwalin would be good - with the way he kissed her it couldn't be anything but good - but she had had _no idea_ it could ever be like that. She had liked many of the men she had slept with before, but it had always just been lust, or drink, or business. Dwalin was none of those things - plenty of lust, really, but that wasn't the reason to lie with him. Dwalin was feelings so deep she couldn't begin to understand them.

She couldn't begin to understand them, but she could feel their echo in how he touch her, how he held her. How he stayed with her after, curled behind her with an arm around her belly and the other bent to pillow her head.

And she whispered three little words to him, thinking him asleep. They came from somewhere inside, came without conscious thought, three little words that made his arm tighten around her. And she froze, because she hadn't thought he would actually hear. But then he bent his head close, and she relaxed against him when he spoke back to her.

_I love you, Nori._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nori at this point thinks she can't get pregnant. Dwalin, not knowing that, had assumed she would give him a hand job. Or if he was really luck, he'd get a blow job. He went into this with no expectation of sex. (But he wasn't about to turn it down when it was offered.)
> 
> Also, look at the [gorgeous (nsfw) art](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/87627684038/buncha-smut-doodles-because-fem-nori-and-based) that Sparkle made!


	7. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dori discovers something.

"And Óin says we should start feeling him move soon," Dwalin said, finishing the report on Nori's pregnancy with his eyes alight with happiness and pride.

"What if we don't?" Nori asked suddenly from where she had sat nestled to her husband's side with her thoughts turned inward. She looked up at the big man and Dori could see naked fear on her face. "What if it's just a trick to punish me? Make me hope and then take it all away."

Dori opened his mouth to scoff that what would punish anyone that way, but Dwalin had already taken Nori's hands in his own. "Mahal loves his people," he said seriously.

"Not women like me," Nori answered, voice shaking.

And what could that mean? Dwalin was right; Mahal loved all his people. He loved those who he had carved and forged, those who used his gifts. Everyone knew that the only ones he turned away from were the ones who threw away those gifts. And even though Nori was a thief, she was still a Dwarf, still made from the stone and fire of the rest of her people.

And even though she was a thief, Dori had already taken care of her. She had fulfilled all her duties as a Dwarf. She had always worked for the good of her family. And he had made sure she always had the contraceptive tea, ever since she had been in her mid fifties and at an age where Dwarves started to experiment.

Although, now he thought of it, she had always insisted he shouldn't waste his money. She had been so certain she didn't need it. In the face of her current worries, he felt a sudden fear. But how could Nori - his laughing, clever little sister - have a past that dark and that hidden?

She was looking up at him, fingers white knuckled where they held Dwalin's, and there was naked fear in her eyes. And he realized that it didn't matter. Nori was his sister, his beloved little sister. He hugged her gently, pressing their heads together, and she melted into it.

"I can't wait for this baby to be born," he whispered to her. "To see what a wonderful mother he has."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, Dori decides he doesn't care. He loves his sister and nothing will change that. I think if she ever wanted to tell him what happened he would listen, but he doesn't need to know.


	8. Cuddle (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norin needs comforting.

Nori looked down at her son, who had planted himself on her bed. He was scowling like Dwalin, and that expression on his little boy face made her smile.

"Mama hug," he ordered when he saw her.

"Of course," she said, opening her arms out to him.

"Hug _here_ ," he clarified with a bit of a bounce.

She huffed a laugh and sat at the edge of the bed, picking him up and cuddling him in her lap. He gripped her shirt and nestled his head under her chin, sniffling. "Papa?" he asked after a moment.

"He'll be home soon," Nori answered, rocking him a little.

Norin fell quiet and Nori felt no need to push for an explanation. After a few minutes she heard him mumbling to himself and when she listened closer she recognized the words and her arms tightened around him.

When she was upset - when there had been particularly unkind comments about her past, or suggestions that Norin wasn't really Dwalin's - Dwalin would carry her to bed and hold her. He would whisper to her that others were fools. They would hold their son between them and Dwalin would tell her how happy he was and how lucky he was. He would tell her she was loved and wonderful. And he held her until she believed him.

There were days that Dwalin had trouble getting through. Something would remind him of the wars he'd been through or the youths he trained would play dangerous pranks and then get angry when he bawled them out. Nori would lead him to bed, putting his precious son in his warrior's hands. She would speak to him of trust, telling him how safe she felt in his arms. She told him he was loved, he was a good man, loyal and true. And she held him until he remembered who he really was.

Norin fussed when he couldn't get his way, when he was sick and overtired. Nori and Dwalin would hold him together in their bed, and assure him. They told him everything would get better, that they loved him, that they were so happy to have him with them. They told him he couldn't always have what he wanted but he shouldn't stop wanting. And they kissed him and held him close until the tears stopped.

Norin was reminding himself that he was loved, using his father's words as he held tightly to her. She bent and kissed his dark, wild hair.

"My získet, papa will be home soon. You have nothing to worry about. Mama and papa will protect and love you always," she crooned, rocking him while his tears started to fall. They stayed there until Dwalin came home and joined them. And there was nothing they couldn't overcome when the three of them were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdul:  
> Získet - sweetness (stolen from Yiddish - this was what my grandma called me)
> 
> Norin is the equivalent of about 5 here. He's starting to be old enough to understand when Ered Luin transplants say unkind things about his mother or say that Dwalin isn't his father. They will have to start asking him what's wrong instead of just assuming he's over tired, and then there will be changes around the mountain.


	9. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Dwalin's birthday and Nori wants to make it special. If only Dwalin wouldn't keep walking in on her preparations!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Sparkle, who is sick and wants fluffy things.

Neither Nori nor her brothers were more than indifferent cooks. Food was something you had to keep alive, and the purchase of it was too dear to worry about specific favorites or fancy dishes. They could out together a pot of stew, or toast bread evenly. They could cut meat away from bone so fine that they didn't waste a morsel. They knew how to catch and keep drippings to flavor their food for weeks. But they couldn't cook more than basic food, and they'd never had the money to buy fine ingredients. They'd none of them had the patience to bake.

And they'd never cooked off of recipes, because they never had the things they would need for a recipe. They just put what they had in a pot and cooked it. So Nori had no idea what it meant to "cut in butter." And Bilbo hadn't thought to provide explanations, probably assuming that everyone knew what it meant, because she assumed all Hobbits knew how to cook.

The roast was cooking, and that hadn't been hard to set up, at least. It was a finer cut of meat than she'd ever had to work with, but it wasn't hard to surround it with onions and apples according to Bilbo's instructions. And the wine had been easy to get. She had a fine nose for wine from her years as a thief - there was no point in stealing something that wouldn't sell.

She had finally given up and just bought rolls, because she couldn't make heads nor tails of the recipe. And then she had gotten creative with them and they were toasting over the fire with the roasted garlic and oil she'd made for potatoes on them. The whole kitchen smelled of garlic, and that couldn't be helping the cookies she was determined to make herself.

"Smells good in here."

Nori would deny to her dying day that she shrieked, but would admit the deadly aim she had with the wooden spoon she threw at her husband. He didn't even bother ducking and took the glancing blow to his shoulder. "You're supposed to be at the training grounds!" she accused, throwing another spoon at him for good measure when he looked nothing but amused.

"They said I should leave early. Wouldn't give any reason for it either," he grumbled.

Nori had thought Balin having her on when he claimed that Dwalin often forgot his birthday. But he hadn't mentioned it in the days leading up to now, and he hadn't mentioned it in the morning, and he couldn't understand why he would be allowed to leave training early. Her birthday had always been the one day of the year she was allowed a treat growing up. She'd never have forgotten it, and the idea that it meant so little to Dwalin was strange to her.

"Get out of here," she said, not even trying to put any of that into words. "I'm busy in here. Go clean up and stay out of my way." She tried to make it sound angry and intimidating, but Dwalin's amusement didn't falter and she knew she hadn't.

She went back to puzzling over the recipe, because the roast was almost done and in order for the cookies to be done before they sat down to eat they would have to be ready to go in almost as soon as the roast came out.

She didn't get far before Dwalin came back, carrying the tunic Dori had embroidered for him. It was made of some of the softest material Nori had ever seen, dyed a deep, even green. The silver embroidery thread picked out Dwalin's personal crest and the seven stars of Durin. "Where did this come from?" he asked her.

"I told you to stay out of my way," she said, properly annoyed this time. "Go clean up and get dressed. Wear that, if you want."

He left, grumbling, and she slowly mixed the wet ingredients into the dry. Her timer finished unwinding with a soft ding and she pulled the roast out of the oven and out it on the counter to rest. And that meant it was nearing time to set everything out - the roast only needed a half hour before she could cut into it. And that meant she had to finish preparing the cookie dough and get it in to cook.

She was spooning it out onto a sheet when Dwalin came in again. He was clean and dressed, wearing the new tunic and with his hair braided and her beads in it. She had to pause and admire him, which always made him both embarrassed and pleased.

"I thought it must be something important if you'd left something this nice for me to wear. Can I do anything?"

"Set the table," she decided. It would keep him away long enough that she wouldn't have to stand in front of her work to hide the cookies from him. "Use the good china, the crystal glasses, and the real silver."

When he left she all but shoved the cookie sheet into the oven, setting her timer again. She checked on the roast and potatoes, arranged the garlic bread on a platter, and threw the mushrooms in with the greens and roots. The wine had been chilling across the kitchen in a bucket of ice to counter the heat of the room and she went to get it open.

Dwalin came to tell her the table was ready just as her timer dinged, so she hurriedly sent him out with the roast and then opened the oven. They looked like cookies, and they smelled about right, so she pulled them out. Bilbo's notes said they should cool on a wire rack and not on the hot sheet, but she didn't have one of those. Would a plate work as well? She didn't know, but it was all she had to try.

And then she nearly dropped the whole thing when Dwalin came to ask what was taking so long. If she didn't love him so much she was almost ready to murder the man. She gave him the salad and potatoes and all but pushed him out of the kitchen to finish with the cookies and hide them on a high shelf.

And then she washed her arms and face in the kitchen sink and took off the covering wrap she had put on over her dress. It was rust and blue with gold picked out across it. And it was worth having it on while cooking to see the look on Dwalin's face when she came out with the garlic bread in her finery.

"What have I forgotten, lass?" he asked. "With all of this, I must have forgotten some special day."

She smiled slightly and slipped into her seat next to him. "Should we see if it's edible?" she asked lightly, patting him on the shoulder.

He poured the wine as she cut into the roast, and they spent the meal talking and laughing about their friends and family. He looked at her admiringly, eyes following huge line of her dress, and she did nothing to discourage him as she leaned in to feed him bites of food or steal kisses between those bites. And it seemed that he forgot to worry that he had forgotten something, because he relaxed and his rich, deep laugh wrapped around her more than once.

Finally, when they finished, he helped her bring the dishes back to the kitchen to clean in the morning and she fished down the plate of cookies. His eyes widened when he saw them and she smiled.

"Happy birthday."

It was good that he set the plate aside before he swept her into his arms and kissed her senseless. She wouldn't have wanted all that effort to go to waste.


	10. Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Nori likes to play cops and robbers with her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sparkle has demanded happy fluff. Who am I to deny her?
> 
> This is not at all what I intended to write today, but I had a driving lesson instead, and that threw me off my game....

Captured in Dwalin's strong arms, Nori didn't know when she had been happier. They were both giggling like children, having run a chase over half the mountain, but it had ended in their own home. Nori was almost always able to choose when she was caught, and Dwalin never seemed to mind.

It had started when she lifted his purse in the market. He only noticed when he went to buy something. He'd haggled it out with the seller while she stood next to him quietly. And then he went to pay and his purse wasn't on his belt. He looked at the empty space a moment in confusion before looking at her. She didn't even try to hide her grin.

"Thief!" he bellowed, and came running when she bolted from the stall.

No one really took them seriously. They were both too recognizable for the guard to come running, and most didn't give them a second look. She did see a few scandalized glances, and she made sure to blow kisses at those she angered. Nothing served to anger them more.

Fíli and Kíli had wanted to help her in the beginning, worrying that Dwalin might hurt her by accident, but she had made them understand that they would do nothing but hinder her. So she saw them as she climbed through the throne room, looking wistfully up from their spots on Thorin's right and left hands. Thorin himself merely raised a brow at her. She winked and blew them all kisses, waiting in her perch until she could see Dwalin catching up. It wouldn't be fun if he lost her.

He finally did what he always did at some point. When he anticipated her instead of just following, he always won. In this case, he went in the front door of their house while she dropped down onto the roof and jimmied her way in a window. He was waiting for her and lifted her bodily down from the sill.

"Caught me a thief," he murmured to her, sounding ridiculously happy, and she couldn't help giggling. And then he started giggling (although she knew he'd never admit it).

And more than an hour later, they were on the hall floor, in each other's arms, unable to rise in their mirth.


	11. New Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we have extended discussion of prostitution, and mentions of rape, discrimination against the poor, parents disowning children, and the general unpleasantness associated with why most people come to prostitution. Also, Bofur being a prejudiced jerk against sex workers and speaking the standard views against them.

Baniss murmured thanks and blessings over her pregnant belly and then disappeared into the crowd. Nori watched her go, feeling lighter by the weight of her purse. But everyone knew who she was, and even with the background she had she was now a hero in the mountain and married to someone who was close to being royalty. She would be extended credit at the market.

"That's money you'll never see again," Bofur muttered to her when she returned to his side. "But they're good for that, if nothing else, eh?"

She shot him a confused and disappointed look. "She has three children to feed."

"Then she should get a job," Bofur said, mouth twisted with distaste and looking very much unlike himself. "Or maybe their fathers--"

"Their _father_ ," Nori said sharply, emphasizing the singular, "died ten years ago in a mine accident. The supervisors and office workers decided to blame him instead of the unstable shafts they'd created by not giving them enough money, so his family got nothing. Baniss does piece work for the tailors, or at least she did in Ered Luin, but that doesn't keep four people fed, clothed, and housed. Especially when three are young and growing."

"Doesn't mean she should sell herself."

"What else should she sell?" Nori demanded. "They were poor enough to start. It's not like she could go into the mines with little ones who needed minding. And you need money for tools and supplies to make anything to sell. She didn't have that money."

"And she doesn't have a trade?" Bofur asked archly.

"Her parents could only pay to educate one child and decided it was best to spend that on her brother. He'd have a family to support one day and she'd be supported by her husband, right?"

"There are jobs you can do without apprenticing."

"And make the kind of money you need to support a family? _Three_ children, Bofur. The youngest wasn't ten. And now she's used up all the savings she was able to build to bring them here for a better life."

"Then why is she still selling herself?" Bofur asked, raising his brows as though he'd made the most salient point.

Nori looked at him, lips compressed in anger now. "Would you hire her?" she asked. "She'll do most anything."

Bofur started and colored. "I'm sure she would," he muttered, looking away.

Nori continued because she'd been quiet too long. "Havra's own husband branded her a whore. And this was after he used her as stakes in a betting game and lost, so she was held down and forced. She hasn't seen her children in more than twenty years and the only way she can make the money to keep herself alive is to become what he labeled her, because no one will hire a known whore. Ashuti's parents both died of disease that took more than a quarter of the low town population in Ered Luin. Who's going to take in a young girl with no one? Only the bastards who want to sell her, and they can afford to hire toughs so that no one can complain about it. Skor's parents disowned him, although he doesn't like to say why. He's been through an apprenticeship, but no one will hire someone who can't even use their full name, can't name their lineage. Fith refused to become a warrior like his father - won't even defend himself when he gets roughed up - so his family threw him away. Makes the most beautiful leatherwork I've seen when he has a chance, but he has no family either."

She had to stop, because her breath was heaving from fury. "Those are the ones I know came here from Ered Luin. Then there are whores from the Iron Hills, the White Mountains, all the way from the Orocarni and Deep Harad. They came here for the same reason everyone else did, but they can't start over because _no one will let them_. And with the number of them and the newness of Erebor, it's so much harder to be a whore here." She shook her head in disgust and voiced the question she'd always wanted to ask. "Why would you think anyone would _want_ that kind of life?"

Bofur's face was red and he wouldn't look her in the eye. "Bring the lady along tomorrow," he said finally, voice soft and sad. "I'll find work for her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure Skor was a daughter to a fairly well off couple, and when he refused to marry and bear children and insisted he was male they cut him out of their lives. He doesn't like to talk about it.


	12. Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings can be very hard when you're an active, small child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based around [this](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/91256374553/for-judayres-fem-nori-stories-first-in-laketwon) Sparkle art. The second one, not the first. :)

Mornings were hard. First, Norin had to wake up. That wasn't hard. But then he had to get mama and papa up, and that could be hard. They liked to sleep in, but he couldn't understand that at all. There were so many things to do! How could being in bed, even mama and papa's bed, be better than running around and watching people work and getting to fight with wooden swords?

Besides, one of them needed to make breakfast, and there was only so long that Norin could go without breakfast. So he had to wake them up. And after breakfast, he had to get dressed and have his hair done. And _that_ took _forever_.

Mama mostly did his hair, which always took longer. Norin's hair was dark, although it glowed red in the light. It was thick and wild and coarse, just like papa's. Which mama told him _every day_. She brushed it out first (and it was good to have mama doing that, because papa couldn't get knots out without it hurting), and then she sat and played with it while she decided what braids he should have.

Papa didn't do braids, so once he got through the pain of knots he was done. But mama always braided his hair. Sometimes she gave him fierce, warrior braids. Sometimes she gave him cherished son braids. Sometimes she braided his hair to match papa's. Those days he followed papa, skipping to keep up with his long strides, and beamed at everyone who said he looked just like his papa.

But there were some days it took even longer than usual. Some days mama and papa couldn't keep away from each other long enough to get him dressed and do his hair. Then he had to sit and wait while they made kissy faces with each other. And if he tried to complain it would just mean that they would hug the stuffing out of him next. And then he'd _never_ get out to play.


	13. Restraints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin try something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT

Nori was familiar with restraints. She had been arrested enough times to know how they worked and how to get out of them. She had taken a few lovers who liked to use them in bed, although she couldn't claim to be a fan of that. She was out of them as soon as she felt threatened, a knife held to the lover's throat, and that invariably led to the lover throwing her over.

This, however. She was perched on Dwalin's - delightful, strong, _naked_ \- chest, securing his hands to the posts of the bed. He shifted underneath her, already restless and obviously second guessing his request. She paused, hand still as she glanced down at him, but he just nodded. She clicked the cuff closed and leaned back, smirking while she felt breathless at the _possibilities_.

Dwalin looked worried again and she froze. He moved as if to hold and reassure her, but he couldn't. He opened his mouth twice before the words came out, coming slowly as they did when he felt things strongly. "Go on. I'm okay."

She looked at him a moment longer, wanting to be certain, and then leaned down to kiss him. His kisses, as always, were the best. She could lose herself in them, and that just wouldn't do in this case. She was the one who had to keep her mind on the task. So she pulled away from the kiss that Dwalin strained to keep going.

She pressed her fingers to his lips to quiet him while she thought, and then had to pull them away too as he nipped and licked at them and utterly destroyed her focus. Although it reminded her of their first time together, and how she'd never properly repaid him for tending to her then. Her smirk bloomed again as she bent to the task.

She tasted every one of his tattoos, biting her way down his body as he moaned underneath her. And then, licking her lips in anticipation, she took his length in her mouth. She'd done it before, but never for long because Dwalin was impatient and would always pull her away too soon to kiss and fondle her. But now, he was at her mercy.

She held his hips down so he wouldn't choke her as she worked. But that didn't stop his needy, breathless sounds. She loved them. She loved that she was the one coaxing them out of him. She was the one who he trusted to cuff him down and have her way with him.

"Nori... Nori!" His voice was ragged and beautiful, so close. She looked up, mouth stretched around him, and hummed. Before her eyes, he came shudderingly apart, pulling at the cuffs so strongly that she was sure the bed was going to break.

She milked him through it, licked him clean. And then she lay over him, rubbing against him because she wasn't done yet.

Dwalin's fingers twitched uselessly. "Let me," he whispered raggedly, voice stuttering and hoarse as he had to give words to the things he wanted and could usually show with action. "Let me, I want to...."

She needed no further prompting, positioning herself over him and letting him take care of her.


	14. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norin gets sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sneakylittlehobbitninja gave me this prompt a while ago and reminded me of it last night when I was asking for prompts.

"Take me instead."

They were the first words Dwalin could understand. The first words of his wife's voice he'd heard in days. But the quality of her voice was hoarse and shaking. She'd been crying. She'd been begging like that for a long time. He had been angry, but could be no longer.

There was a sickness brought in by the farmers of Dale s they came to try and sell the last of their crops and make just that last bit of money they could to take care of their families through the winter. No one had known the farmers were sick, or they would have been refused entry to the mountain. But no one had known.

Not until they started seeing it in the Dwarf population. Dwarves were solid as rock and rarely got sick, but that didn't mean that they weren't vulnerable, especially the young and the old. Before they had realized what was happening, there had been almost twenty deaths. And the mountain had been thrown into chaos as they tended the sick and searched frantically for a cure, or at least a way to ease those who were ill.

Nori and Dwalin had of course done their part. It was Nori, in the end, who snuck out of the mountain and down to Dale to learn what it was and how it was treated. And they did their part tending the ill as well, thinking themselves safe. And neither of them had fallen ill.

But Norin wasn't ten yet, and he had. Even with what they knew, the disease was serious. It could be debilitating. It could kill despite the best efforts. Dwalin hadn't left Norin's side for days. He had tended his son alone, because Nori had vanished as soon as they realized what had happened. And no matter how much it galled, no matter how much Norin cried for her, Dwalin wouldn't leave his boy alone to go searching.

He had pulled through. He was safe. Dwalin could breathe easily again, and now he had the time to find his wayward wife and demand an explanation. Some instinct had drawn him down to the lowest level of their house, the old rough cut cellar used to store wine and food. He heard her long before he could make out the words, but even as he moved closer his anger dissipated.

"He did nothing wrong." Her voice was a sob. "He's just a child. Punish me, not him. Take me, not him. I'm the one who's done wrong. Not Norin. Not Dwalin. Don't make them pay for what I did."

Now he could see her, prostrate on the floor. A penitent, a supplicant. And there was only one wrong she could think this was punishment for. Dwalin's annoyance withered. He knelt at her side, placing a hand gently on her back.

"Norin wants his mother," he said softly. "And I want the one I love."

She turned to him, eyes wide and rimmed with red. "Dwalin," she sobbed, and he pulled her into his arms.

He didn't shush her, letting her sob into his chest, rubbing her back. "The fever's broken. He'll be fine. You are not being punished and nor are we. Come back upstairs, my heart. Come back to us."


	15. Trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin are trying for another child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a "domesticity/intimacy" prompts meme going around. Sparkle prompted any that would work for fem!Nori. That's all of them. This might take a while.
> 
> Prompt 18/32: trying to get pregnant. There is technically no Dwalin in this chapter, but he's there in spirit.

After seeing Nori through her pregnancy, Dori made sure her store of contraceptive tea was always filled. They never talked about it, but every time he visited he checked the jar, and it went down steadily. He had never seen her as upset as she sometimes got during the unplanned pregnancy, and he never wanted to see it again.

It was a surprise, therefore, to find that after a week the jar was still full. Nori bowed her head a little when he mentioned it, biting her lip and holding her cup of tea - a different tea, obviously - tightly in her hands.

"We thought we might try for another child," she said softly, as if she were talking to her glass. And Dori's brash, confident sister had never sounded so hesitant.

Dori frowned at the sound of it, then moved to her side and soothed her where she was worrying her lip. "Dwalin's idea?" he asked, trying to sound neutral although if Dwalin had pressured his sister into this he would never forgive the man.

But she shook her head. "We talked about it - about children and families. We both want more." She looked up, finally, meeting his eyes. And Dori had always been able to read her and could see the honesty in them. "I didn't think.... There was so long I didn't think I'd have any. Until we talked I didn't consider that we could have more. But I want more, Dori."

He hugged her, thinking about how the last one had been but biting his tongue. Perhaps the next would be easier. They stood wrapped in each other, and he whispered the blessings and prayers for conception. And she buried her face in his shoulder and smiled.


	16. Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin and Nori talk about having more children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 20/32 from the domesticity/intimacy meme.

Nori came back to the sitting room after putting Norin - healthy, strong, and newly ten - to bed. She sat in her chair opposite Dwalin's and stared into the fire pensively. He continued his task cleaning and repairing his weapons and armor, and waited for her to speak.

"It's a shame Norin doesn't have any brothers," she said finally.

Dwalin chuckled. "The oldest is always alone for a time. Balin was past fifty when I arrived, although I grant that's a bit extreme. Isn't Dori almost twenty years older than you?" He glanced up when she didn't answer his question, rhetorical though it was, and saw her staring at him. He couldn't think why until she spoke.

"Oldest?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Unless you don't want more," he hurried to assure.

"I-- I can't--" Her hands drifted to her belly and she paused. He saw her eyes widen suddenly. "I can have more!" she exclaimed, sitting straighter in her seat.

Dwalin put his work aside and moved to kneel in front of her, taking her hands between his own. "Only if you want them," he repeated.

She laughed at him. "Not want your children? Are you mad?" She didn't let him answer, pressing her hands to his cheeks and pulling him up into a deep kiss. Her eyes shone when she pulled back. "How could I not want them?"

There was more to it than that, and Dwalin knew they'd have to talk about it more when she was more used to the idea. But right then, with Nori so happy and the prospect of future babies, all he could do was bracket her into the chair and keep kissing her.


	17. Holding Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori needs reassurance after Mirkwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity/Intimacy meme 28/32

They were out of Mirkwood. They had escaped with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, but they had escaped. They had managed to sneak into Laketown and were that much closer to Erebor and the dragon.

So not safe at all.

Nori looked around to see that no one was paying her a bit of attention in the middle of the group of Dwarves. She took one step to the side and slid her fingers into Dwalin's. He didn't even look at her, but his hand tightened around hers.

They walked hand in hand through the town of Men. It wasn't safe, and neither was their quest, but after everything, to have that hand hold hers unreservedly felt like security.


	18. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pregnant sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least the lead up to it. Domesticity/intimacy meme 19/32

Nori wrapped her arms around the wide girth of her belly. "I'll crush you like that," she said, although she couldn't help the way her eyes roamed her husband's body. Dwalin was like a feast laid out before her, if she could allow herself to take it.

"Better me than him," Dwalin answered, reaching one arm out to pull her closer. He rolled to his side, a teasing smile on his face and lifted her onto the bed. "You don't seem so heavy to me," he said, falling back again and watching her with eyes alight.

She laughed. "You may regret that," she said, arranging herself astride him.

Dwalin made no sound of discomfort as she settled, big hands coming up to hold her hips and he'll her find a comfortable seat. Then they traveled to cup over the bulge of her belly, stroking the stretch marks gently. He grinned, feeling a kick. "Sure you're ready for this?"

She reached out, tracing the scars on his face and the bow of his smile. "Yes," she said seriously.


	19. Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there is only one way Nori can respond when Dwalin asks her to marry him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity/intimacy meme 7/32: engagement sex
> 
> SMUT

She pushed him against a wall, hands balled in his tunic and lips devouring his, and that was her answer.

Dwalin had been so hesitant, so gentle, so sincere. He had somehow hidden the most delicate jewels, all gold and emerald, and when he presented them to her he asked the question. He asked as though she might say no. He asked as though it was the most important question he'd ever asked and her answer could destroy him. He asked her to marry him.

It was somewhat awkward with Dwalin being larger than her, so Nori used her grip on his tunic to pull herself up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hands grasp under her thighs to hold her steady.

With that assistance, she didn't need to hold so tightly. Smirking into the kisses she was lavishing on him, she began stripping his tunic and shirt off. He groaned as she kissed down his neck, biting dark, possessive marks.

Then it was her turn, and she guided Dwalin's mouth down her body. She petted his head, moaning appreciatively as she felt his tongue and teeth on her neck and breasts. She ground against him, feeling how hard he was through both pairs of pants. And there was no way to get out of those while remaining as they were, so Nori reluctantly lowered herself off of him.

It only lasted long enough for them to get fully naked, and then she tackled him back into the wall, rubbing herself over as much of him as she could manage and climbing up onto him again. His hands closed over her bottom this time, and she wriggled under the touch, feeling how he shook as she rubbed against him.

This was not the time for teasing, and she wrapped both arms and legs around him, pressing him against the wall as he entered her.

"Nori," he groaned, arms shaking. He looked like he was going to keep talking, so she brought her mouth back to his own. Right now, all she wanted to do was feel him.

He sank to the floor, still holding her tightly. He kissed like he needed it to live, deep and open, and it was so much better than words.

"That was a foolish question," she said what seemed an eternity later, still wrapped around him. "When there's only one answer."


	20. After the Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> honeymoon sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another domesticity/intimacy prompt.

It was over. She'd worn a combination of the jewels Dwalin had made her and gold that Dori had spun into wire and knitted into the finest lace - and mail at the same time. She had worn a crown and the finest silk the traders had brought from the east. She had had others do her make up and hair for her. She had been spectacular in a way she had never thought to be.

Dwalin had been everything she had expected, his armor gleaming bright. His clothes were dark and warm, his jewels flashing fire in the torch light. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

They had been painted together like that, Ori taking the time to use his paints properly while they stood together and the crowd greeted them as one. It was overwhelming and at the same time _right_.

And now they were alone for a week in a small home deep in the mountain, to consecrate their marriage before Mahal and all the people. They were alone for what felt the first time, finally married, and she felt more nervous than she had the first time they had made love.

He had _married_ her. Her, a thief with a poor upbringing. She had nothing going for her socially. Her mother had been unwed, she had had little education, she had no craft but thievery. And Dwalin, one of the best Dwarves ever, had married her. She loved him so much it hurt, and the knowledge that they were bound together for life stopped her breath.

He eased into the hot water of the natural spring and she admired him as much wearing nothing as she had in his wedding finery. She approached, settling herself next to him as he sat, and then squawked as he pulled her into his lap.

She looked at him, seeing all the things she was feeling mirrored in his eyes. And for that, the only thing she could do was kiss him.

They were there for an eternity. In the end, she couldn't say when they were just kissing, and when they were doing more. All she knew was that they were joined as one. They were one, body and soul. She felt that she knew him, best and worst, and every part of it was beautiful to her. And she felt as if every fault and imperfection in herself had joined with her confidence and skill to make a perfect whole in Dwalin's heart.

She sighed through her climax, the feeling less an earthquake than a tide. It washed over her, warm and soft, its waves soothing her as they brought her pleasure. It was the ultimate pleasure, being in Dwalin's arms, being one with him, opening herself to him.

She sighed into his mouth, kissing languidly. She was content to do nothing but sit in the hot water and make love. She would be content to make her life there, part of Dwalin and him part of her, knowing nothing but one another.

(Even then, in that space of eternity and perfection, she knew that was false. But for a moment, she could live like it was true, and she lost herself in him.)


	21. The People of Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are four distinct ways Nori is regarded around Erebor.

Over the years, Nori discovered several different kinds of people in Erebor. There were the thieves, of course, and those from Ered Luin who knew who she was and had a hard time trusting her despite her new status. They were the ones who watched her hands intently when she was in the market and spread rumors about her relationship with Dwalin - rumors that Norin wasn't his and she was playing him for a fool.

She had ignored it for a long time, but Norin was getting old enough to understand. And there was another one on the way....

The whores, on the other hand, and any who wanted to start over in Erebor. They almost worshipped her. It was due to Nori's defense of them that they had the chance to start over. Her good word that freed the whores from the cycle of abuses. Her anger and rage over their situation that meant they had money to raise their children, freedom to protect themselves. They doted on Norin and made little gifts to Dwalin when he was in the market because they knew Nori wouldn't take them herself.

Most of the population, Dwarves from across the continent, just knew that she was one of the heroes who had brought them back their kingdom. They looked at her with respect and admiration. They praised her name and wished her every happiness. They treated Norin like a prince, spoiling him any time he was out in public until he was nothing but beaming smiles and hugs for everyone.

And then there was the old blood nobility. Dwarves in general had little time for nobility and little distinction between them and commoners. Thorin himself, King though he had been in all but name, had been learning common smithing before the dragon came and it was his trade afterward. He had the same regard for his counsellors and common miners, and had raised his nephews to do the same.

But there were some for whom birth was more important than anything else. They were the ones who had fled to the Iron Hills and the White Mountains - safe strongholds of Dwarves, close enough to have similar traditions, small enough to only be able to take a few of the refugees.

Nori had heard them speak. Hero she might be, but how dare she marry Dwalin - Dwalin, of the line of Durin himself. They didn't know who her father was, and her mother was common as anything. She wasn't good enough for the line of Durin. These speculated that she'd gotten pregnant on purpose - that she had trapped Dwalin into the marriage.

It made her want to scream. At least these didn't usually question Norin's parentage, but the idea that she could have been so calculating about something so important.... The idea that she should have been content to be his mistress or his whore because of her birth, when they had taken their help away from their people for a century and more, had ignored their king's summons. The idea that the love she and Dwalin shared meant nothing to them.

Nori loved the whores and the reformed criminals. She loved the common folk of Erebor. She put up with those who had known her before. But the old nobility were the ones she wanted to knife in the dark.


	22. Keeping Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it is cold outside the mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity/intimacy prompt: keeping the other one warm.

Dwalin had never thought it was an advantage to be large. It had been nothing but trouble when he was a child. And though it was sometimes helpful in a fight, it made him more of a target. No, he was too big and too visible. A killer, dangerous, and never able to hide in a crowd and be unseen.

But Nori was small. Average height, but slim. And against Dwalin, she was small. He remembered at Beorn's, feeling like he covered her body. He remembered her walking next to him through Laketown, her hand in his, and he had felt a protector.

He was the one on watch, more than three days since they had arrived at the mountain. It was late in October, and it was starting to feel it, especially when they were camping on the slope of the mountain itself. Dwalin was wrapped in the clothes he had gotten at Laketown - the size of Men making even him feel small.

He was aware enough to not be surprised when Nori plopped down next to him, shivering and without even one blanket. "Ori kicks," she said without being asked. "And Dori always ends up on top of anyone he's sleeping with."

He wrapped an arm around her, not trusting his loud voice among the sleepers. She nuzzled in, and before he knew it she was seated in his lap, wrapping his borrowed coat around herself.

"You're so warm, Dwalin," she said, voice almost a moan. His cheeks flamed at the tone, but she did nothing more than sit with him, one hand holding the coat closed around the two of them, the other pressed familiarly against his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and continued to sit his watch while she dozed against his shoulder. Dwalin had always been too big. But with Nori, it was just the right size.


	23. Cuddle (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> even as the family expands, the master bed remains the center of their home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written this time for the domesticity/intimacy meme.
> 
> Based on [this sketch](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/102971297843/sometimes-im-in-a-mood-most-of-the-time-not) from Sparkle.

It was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and Nori was glad to get home in the evening and take her weight off her feet by climbing into her bed. The baby was restless in her belly - a sure sign he was almost ready to come, according to Óin - and she found herself tired out by the time she got home. She couldn't remember Norin being this active, but he more than made up for it now.

The boy leapt onto the bed next to her, snuggling in against her and talking to his brother. From the first, he had been excited by the prospect of being an older brother. He asked so many questions she wasn't sure where he got all the words. And though she wasn't sure he understood the answers, he listened to them very seriously. Norin grinned happily up at her.

And she felt the bed dip on the other side as well. A large, warm weight settled next to her, and she leaned into her husband. One big hand curved around her belly, and Nori felt nothing could be wrong in the world.


	24. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something of a prelude to [chapter 13](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1721960/chapters/4723743).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out much more sappy than I expected.

"You're sure?" Nori's asked, holding the cuffs in on hand. "You don't have to do this."

"I know," Dwalin said, looking at the curves of metal in her smaller hands. "I trust you."

Her eyes widened. "But you know what I am!"

He heard something in her voice, because his eyes moved up to hers. "I trust you," he repeated firmly. "You're the only one I trust to do this."

Her eyes started to tear and her lip trembled at the simple faith in his voice. Dwalin pulled her close, wrapping her in strong, gentle arms. "I trust you," he repeated into her hair. Azyung skhatten. My beloved treasure."


	25. Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 4. Prompt: Children.

She had spent years thinking she would never have children. She had lain awake at night imagining the one she hadn't had. She had made faces and jokes and pretended children were nothing but a hindrance that she wasn't interested in.

When Norin was born, it seemed like a miracle to her. She didn't know how to take care of him, especially at first when he was so small and helpless. But they grew together, and as he got bigger and able to express himself she grew able to take care of him and love herself with him. Dwalin was the best help, holding them together, doing more than his share, teaching them how to know each other.

Dwalin was why she knew her first born, and she loved him with every fiber of her being. She loved his dark hair, coarse like his father's. She loved his wide wide smile. She loved how much he loved others. She loved every moment with him.

And then Dwalin had reminded her that if she had one she should be able to bear others. She had turned giddy in his arms at the thought, insisted that she wanted them and wanted them _now_. But Dwalin, remembering the first time, insisted that they wait and think about it.

Neither of them were sorry in the end. Athrin looked far more like Nori. He was not a chubby, happy baby the way Norin had been. But this time Nori was sure of herself. This time, she was able to care for him from the start. And Norin, treasure that he was, didn't begrudge his brother a minute of anyone's time. He spent just as much time spoiling the new baby.

Nori thought Dwalin might love Athrin more. He had redder hair, though it was still coarse and wiry. And he had her family's cleverness. He was quiet like Ori, always watching things with great round eyes the color of blue zircons. He was smaller and slimmer than Norin had ever been, even fed full of milk. He smiled less, but spoke more.

And then - wonder of wonders - a third. A girl for Dwalin to puff himself over. A warrior for him to train. A beauty who took after Dori and Balin, hair black as pitch, eyes the palest blue, face perpetually frowning. She was the apple of her father's eye, toddling everywhere after him with toy axes her brothers delighted in passing down to her. And unlike the other two, she came to her mother for sleep and comfort. 

And Nori felt her heart would burst with her young daughter in her arms and both boys pressed to her sides. She would catch Dwalin's eye across the room or across the bed, and they would smile at each other, not needing any words to explain what they both knew.


	26. Something Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nwalin Week (Take 2) Day 7. Prompt: Something Old.

Most of the company still had someone in Ered Luin. This made things easy when they came. Dís had all the goods that her sons and brother had left behind as being too much to carry on the kind of journey they were going on. Balin and Dwalin had also left their things in her care. Gloín's wife had his and his brother's stores. Bombur's wife had taken care of everything that family owned. When they came, so did everything they had left behind.

Dori, Nori, and Ori had no one. It had been just them for almost as long as Ori had been alive. They had boxed up everything and left it hidden away. And it was years before any of them could leave Erebor long enough to make the trip back and find it all. It was Ori in the end - Nori had a family to look after, and Dori was perpetually busy with one thing or another.

He returned with a cart of boxes and the three of them sat eagerly to sort through them. There were household items, most of them in good enough condition to give to others. A few were put aside to keep for sentimental value, but they had all purchased or made the things they needed. Some of their old clothes were hardly good enough for rags, and it was strange to look at them with the eyes of people who had been successful and prosperous for years now. There were Ori's books, which he cooed over, and the beads and gems their mother had left them.

At the very bottom of the last box, they found old toys. They had never had many toys, not having the money to spare for them, but they had each had one or two. Ori grinned to find the horse Dori had painstakingly carved him. Dori had made most of their toys himself - a stuffed animal that could have been a dog, several wooden figures, a mankála board and the pieces to play it.

While Dori and Ori settled in to play a round, Nori reached into the box and pulled out the last thing in it, the doll that had been specifically made for her. It was rags stuffed with rags, worn and washed and the softest thing Nori could ever remember touching. It had brown skin, a faded red dress, and hair made from undyed yarn that Dori had braided into their mother's braids.

She smiled and presented it to the child at her breast. He gurgled and put one arm into his mouth. She couldn't have been happier.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kid fic focused on Norin and toys.

Nori never had many toys growing up. In the wandering days they had to carry everything and even a child’s bags were better filled with necessities. Even after they settled in the Blue Mountains not much changed - money was too dear to spend on frivolities. She and Dori had tried to shape sticks and rocks into figures, but they usually ended up lopsided. There had been one nice doll - a birthday present before Ori was born with lovely white hair that Dori always put in their mother’s braids.

Dwalin have been the second son of wealth and most of his childhood had been in the mountain. He took his toys and playtime for granted and broke as many as he was bought. Few left any lasting impression - just his first training sword, which he had to fix when he broke it over Thorin’s head in play, and the mechanical singing bird, which was far too precious to him to ever touch.

The bird it’s still been in the nursery - it wasn’t made of gold or gems to attract a dragon. When they learned of Nori’s pregnancy Dwalin spent hours carefully cleaning and fixing each piece until it sang as though it was new. Nori had grown adept with knives over the years. She tried to calm her fears with carving - a bear, a boar, A fierce Dwarf warrior, a ram with giant horns. They had few memories of childhood toys and thought themselves well-equipped.

Their families didn’t agree and it wasn’t long before they started receiving gifts. Dolls and soft toys from Dori, the clothes and braids reflecting family members. Children’s stories from Ori, written in his clearest writing and lavishly illustrated. Balin brought blocks of all shapes and sizes. Thorin wove together gems and bells to hang over the cradle. Dís, ever practical, made clothes but even here it seemed more designed for play. Shirts had sweet, round puppies and piglets on them, nighties fluffy ravens and sheep. There were caps with curly horns attached and more than one diaper cover had a curly tail on the back.

More came from from the people of the mountain - a child of Erebor, a child of heroes! It seemed the child must be related to everyone. There were diapers and swaddling clothes, blankets and pillows, gentle soaps and lotions, soft brushes, baby beads, teething rings, play mats and rocking chairs. Some things had to be donated, but in the end Nori and Dwalin had very little to do with the decoration of the nursery. They had everything they needed - far more, certainly! - with little effort and no money. It was a weight lifted from Nori’s mind. Her first failure - because she was so sure she would fail - would not be lack of preparation.

Norin came and it wasn’t just the nursery that was full to bursting. The baby had his father’s presence and seemed to fill up any room he was in. He wanted to touch things and everything went in his mouth. They had thought themselves prepared for everything, but as soon as he started to crawl they had the hardest task yet. It was easy to move most things higher than he could reach, but there always seemed to be something they had missed. They would look away for a moment and he would be reaching for a knife sitting on a table they had thought taller than him.

Dwalin was always down on the floor with his son. He adored the boy, even when he was spit up on, even when his mustache was being chewed on. One thing he loved more than any other was to watch Norin learn new things. All the gifts they had gotten, shapes and colors that were familiar to them as adults, were new to the baby. He watched with wide eyes as Dwalin set the mobile gently spinning to flash reflected light from the gems and set the bells ringing. The dolls were soft, and he could feel the shape of an arm or leg in his mouth.

Nori had to read the stories to him. She was nervous at first, afraid to even hold him, but as he got older she got more secure. And Norin would stare at the pages as Nori read, her head bent close to him, and look at the pictures she pointed to. As he got older and more familiar with the stories he would point to the pictures first, and she would kiss his head and praise him. Norin would giggles and sway into her and then point at another picture. She would tell that story or make one up to please him. And he would snuggle close in his shirts with round puppies and hold one of his dolls close and listen.

Norin’s first words were from those stories. He spoke late and took time to learn words. It was clear that he understood, and he learned Iglishmêk with no problems. Nori read to him often. She and Dwalin spoke to him and sang to him and he would clap along. He did speak, with his hands and with his mouth, and that was the important part. Norin was the important part, him and the love that had filled their nursery.


End file.
